


Sitting in a Tree

by sugafree



Category: GOT7
Genre: BFF Markson, Friends to Lovers, High School Neighbor boys AU??, M/M, One Shot, is that a thing?, jealous!Jackson, lots of conjunctions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 08:18:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4912120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugafree/pseuds/sugafree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So apparently Jackson's best friend has got a boyfriend now. It's totally fine. Whatever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sitting in a Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Plot is similar to a manga called 'elektel delusion' which I haven't read, but since 2 people mentioned it to me and the story was a request I would rather give credit just in case! ❤

Jackson leaned against the brick wall and looked out over the school roof. Mark was leaned up against the wall next to him attempting to loosen the tie from his school uniform. Sometimes it just wasn’t worth it for them to be locked up inside listening to their History teacher drone on and on Especially when the sun was shining, and the roof was a nice escape so occasionally instead of heading back to class after lunch they just stayed up here.

 

Jackson glanced at Mark out of the side of his eye. Mark was still struggling with the tie and his hands looked a bit shaky. Usually Jackson wasn't one for prolonged silences. In fact it's entirely possible he was incapable of them, but he somehow sensed Mark was gearing up to say something so he kept his mouth shut (hey, there's a first for everything right?).

 

Mark seemed uncharacteristically nervous. And like yeah, Jackson had seen Mark get nervous plenty of times, like when they had to give a presentation in class and he gets all cute and flushed and has a hard time stringing his words together, or when all those girls came up delivering love notes and confessions and Mark had to find a way to politely decline them and then deal with the tears that inevitably followed, but he was never nervous when it was just him and Jackson.

 

They'd been friends for as long as Jackson could remember. Ever since Mark and his family had moved into the house next door, and they had met at the park across the street. Mark had saved Jackson from a terrifyingly aggressive dog who was running full speed at Jackson with it’s leash dragging behind it (ok so yes, it was a Chihuahua as Mark always  just _had_ to remind him, but that’s not the point). It was probably about to attack Jackson at any moment (which is why it’s totally justifiable that he was crying, plus he was like 7 so whatever) but then Mark scooped it up in his skinny arms and returned it to it’s frantic owner.  Mark was one year older and seven year old Jackson was completely sure that he was the coolest thing around.

 

People often commented that they thought it was strange they had managed to stay such good friends for so long since they were complete and total opposites, but to be honest it had never even occurred to Jackson that they could ever just not be friends. They balanced each other out, and they knew each other so well he couldn't imagine what Mark would be so nervous to tell him.

 

"Jackson, I'm pretty sure I'm gay" Mark suddenly said, his words were a little rushed and almost slurred sounding. He was staring at a point just beyond Jackson's shoulder and seemed to be pretty resolute about not looking at Jackson's face. Which actually might be a good thing now that Jackson thought about it, because he's pretty sure he looks like some kind of large mouthed fish what with the way he was gaping right now.

 

He was just surprised, because he wouldn't have thought there was anything about Mark that he didn't already know. It's not as if he had a problem with it or anything. He promptly shut his mouth, and then leaned in to give Mark a hug, and tell him it was ok. Mark's shoulders were totally tense, but after a few seconds he relaxed.

 

Jackson's mind was reeling a bit, ok so his best friend was probably gay, and he had had no idea, ok. He could handle this, no big deal. It suddenly made a bit more sense why Mark had always turned down all those (totally excessive in Jackson's opinion, like seriously calm down) confessions from girls. Jackson had never really understood why Mark hadn't said yes to at least a couple of them. As he continued to think things over he suddenly realized why Mark was probably telling him this.

 

Of course! Jackson totally should have seen this coming. He was already writing a little speech in his head about how he couldn't return Mark's feelings, but that this didn't have to affect their friendship in anyway, and honestly it was a pretty moving speech in his opinion, like totally epic, but then Mark suddenly interrupted his thoughts again.

 

"I have a boyfriend now"

 

Ok what. That is not what Jackson expected at all.

 

"You have a boyfriend? Like already? WHO?!"

 

Apparently some classmate had confessed to Mark earlier that day, and since Mark figured that he probably wouldn’t have that many dating opportunities in their somewhat small private school,  he decided to give it a try. Which is like fine or whatever. Totally.  

 

****

 

Later on when they’ve both gone back to class Jackson has a hard time paying attention. A fact that is not lost on his teacher, who keeps having to tell him to turn back around and look at the board. It’s just that with as much time as they’ve spent together Mark totally should have had a crush on him shouldn’t he? And like Jackson doesn't think he's like the best looking person on the planet or anything, but he was pretty good looking, and it seems like if Mark likes guys he definitely should have noticed or something. Plenty of girls have noticed! Jackson has dated quite a bit actually, and ok so he hasn’t had nearly as many confessions as Mark (who has??), but still he’s a totally viable option!  Not that it really matters since Jackson totally wouldn’t have been into it anyway. He looks back to see Mark at his desk. He’s paying attention to the teacher and the light is catching in his hair like a halo. It’s whatever.

 

Jackson gives up on trying to pay attention and instead spends the rest of class trying to imagine what Mark’s new boyfriend looks like. Apparently normal guys like Jackson aren’t his type. So he’s probably like super macho or something. Like tons of rippling muscles and arms so big they can’t lay flat at his sides, and he probably has a super deep voice and only speaks in grunts.  Maybe he doesn’t even own a bed and instead just sleeps on a bench press or something. Seems probable.

 

As soon as he and Mark are on their way home Jackson demands that Mark introduce him to his new boyfriend. It’s just that it kind of sounded like Mark didn’t even know the guy that well. Jackson definitely needs to check him out. This is his best friend we’re talking about! Not just any guy will do. Jackson definitely needs to make sure he’s up to standard. It’s his duty as a best friend, and he tells Mark this. Mark points out that he’s never required Mark’s approval for the girls he’s dated, but that’s besides the point really.

 

****

 

Only when Mark introduces him to Jackson the next day before class, he’s totally underwhelmed. “James” is totally normal. There’s absolutely nothing spectacular about him, and he definitely doesn’t sleep on a bench press. And like ok, fine, he’s not exactly ugly, but he’s definitely not the most good looking guy Jackson has ever seen. That would probably have to be… well besides Mark… well anyways that wasn’t  important right now. What’s important is that Jackson is totally better looking than this guy. He would know! He spent like an hour last night staring at his face in the mirror trying to figure out if maybe Mark had just missed something. If “James” had been totally different from Jackson then he would have understood, but as it was well… honestly even Jackson knew he was ahead of this guy. It was totally obvious really. Completely.

 

He totally planned on telling Mark about this at lunch, but just when Jackson was about to head up to the roof where they often ate, Mark called to him, and told him he was eating with “James” today. Which is fine. They don’t _always_ eat up on the roof. At least half the time they eat in the lunchroom with JB and Jr. So it’s totally fine. Jackson doesn’t mind at all. Except he totally does mind when “James” doesn’t just disappear after school, but instead ends up walking home with them.

 

Which probably means Mark’s not coming over to Jackson’s to eat an entire pizza and play video games like he usually does. Jackson’s family is almost never around, and Jackson kind of hates being alone so it’s totally natural for him to be annoyed. Totally. It has nothing to do with this "James" guy or anything. But still It feels completely weird to go off into his own house alone while Mark and his _friend_ go hang out at Mark’s. He suddenly finds he has no idea what to do with himself. The TV can’t hold his attention, and like he _could_ do homework, but he _just_ got off school. He wants at least an hour or two before he starts thinking about that. So instead he just finds himself obsessing about what could possibly be going on at Mark’s right now.

 

It’s a Wednesday so that means Mark’s parents won’t be home til late. Suddenly Jackson feels kind of panicky. I mean does Mark _really_ know what he’s getting himself into? Mark is pretty quiet and shy around people he doesn’t know. It took him like a full month to finally start speaking around JB and Jr. so there’s no way he feels comfortable being alone with this guy yet. Jackson is completely convinced that the right thing to do would be for him to just go over. For Mark you know? Jackson is a totally thoughtful best friend. Award winning.

 

Jackson doesn’t even knock he just barges in, because best friends can do that, and he find himself feeling strangely relieved when Mark and “James” are just sitting on the couch watching a movie. There’s even a little bit of space between them. Which is good. For reasons. Reasons like so Jackson can come sit right in between them, and if there wasn’t really quite enough room and “James” has to scoot over a bit then what of it? Mark looks kind of surprised to see him, and when Jackson had kind of glanced over at “James” he had quite frankly looked pretty pissed, but that’s neither here nor there really.

 

During the course of the afternoon “James” makes several subtle and several not so subtle hints that Jackson should leave them alone, but Mark doesn’t make any so he just pretends not to notice.  

 

Eventually “James” seems to give up on having some alone time with Mark, and goes home. Jackson turns to Mark and narrows his eyes

 

“So what exactly did you guys do before I got here then?”

 

“Nothing, we didn’t do anything. We ate a snack, and then put on a movie, and then suddenly you come bursting through that door like your ass was on fire or something”

 

Jackson is pretty sure Mark secretly appreciated it so he lets the lack of gratitude slide for now.

 

****

 

The next day when Jackson knocks on Mark’s door his Mom tells him Mark already left for school with someone else. Which ok, it’s not like he had promised Jackson they’d walk to school together or anything, but they usually do. The walk to school seems longer and lonelier, and Jackson is totally not sulking or anything. So he had no idea what JB was talking about when he accused Jackson of looking like a kicked puppy.

 

“Where’s your other half anyways?” Jr asks and he has a little bit of a sly look in his eye that Jackson doesn’t want to try to interpret right now.

 

“He’s eating with “James” today” Jackson tells him and he totally doesn’t sound jealous or anything.

 

“I don’t get it. Is that not his real name or what? Why do you always put air quotes around it?” JB asks.

 

"Don't even try to figure it out JB. Jackson's always just so you know..." he waved his hand about in a vague sort of way, "...extra about Mark"

 

"Isn't he sort of extra about everything?"

 

"I mean yeah, but he's like _extra_ extra about Mark you know?"

 

"Remember how it took like a month before Jackson stopped acting like some sort of personal interpreter mixed with a guard dog every time we said anything to Mark? And he was always going on about how we 'shouldn't get any ideas' because Jackson was already Mark's best friend or whatever."

 

Jackson doesn’t bother to reply to this, frankly ludicrous discussion, and anyways Jr has already moved on to some other topic by the time he's managed to think of a response. Jackson stabs his food a couple of times, but doesn’t eat much.

 

****

 

Things finally start feeling a little normal again when he and Mark walk home from school (thankfully with no “James”) and they’re just joking around and talking like usual. See this is how it’s supposed to be! And Mark totally missed out on this this morning. And for what? So he could spend time with his trial boyfriend or whatever he was? And ok sure it was true that Jackson had maybe occasionally done the same thing when he’d had various girlfriends, but honestly why bring that up?

 

They start discussing their weekend plans as they walk. JB and Jr are in a band and they have a performance this weekend, and he already secured two tickets for Mark and him. He’s about to tell this to Mark when Mark suddenly says he’ll probably invite “James”.

 

Jackson loses it.

 

Like totally loses it.

 

He throws a fit not unlike the ones he used to throw as a child. He leaves a shocked looking Mark on the sidewalk and even slams the door. It’s totally uncool, and kind of embarrassing if he’s being honest with himself, but he can’t help it. He hears his phone buzz, but he ignores it.

 

For like a whole 3 minutes. Which is a long time.

 

It’s from Mark. “Lets just go to the concert together then. I didn’t mean to upset you! Forgive me please,” and there’s a selfie attached where Mark is pulling his best pouty face. It’s a pretty good pouty face if Jackson is honest.

 

****

 

The next morning Mark is waiting for him outside to walk to school, and Jackson knows he should probably feel a little ashamed of how he handled everything yesterday, but he can’t bring himself to care when Mark is standing there waiting for him in the sun. His face is practically glowing in the light and it’s stupid really.

 

“So where’s “James” then?” he asks, and he’s not really sure why he’s bringing him up, when he can’t really think of anything he wants to talk about less, but sometimes stuff just comes out of his mouth before he has time to think about it.

 

“I don’t know” Mark says shrugging his shoulders

 

Jackson narrows his eyes.

 

“Do you even like him?”

 

“I might…. you know eventually”

 

“What do you mean _eventually_?”

 

Mark looks a bit uncomfortable, and he hasn't answered yet. He seemed prepared to just wait until Jackson started ranting to fill the silence, but Jackson somehow summoned an unprecedented amount of  self restraint and waited for him to answer anyways. Mark sighed and eventually gave in.

 

“I guess just because it’s hard to find someone else that’s also into guys? I don’t know I guess I was sick of being by myself, and I wanted to be sure I was really into guys and not just like a certain one or something...”

 

“... a certain one?”

 

Mark froze up a bit and changed the subject, but by this point Jackson was too distracted to really notice. Because right now Jackson had an idea.

 

“If you don’t care who you’re dating then why don’t you just date me?”

 

Mark stopped walking. He looked at Jackson, but for some reason Jackson could not read his face at all.

 

“Are you being serious right now Jackson?” Mark hadn’t put any inflection on the words, and Jackson was still having trouble figuring out what he was thinking. Which was like a really weird experience since he’s pretty much always considered himself a Mark expert. He was a solid A student of Markology. Self evaluated, but whatever. He compensated for it the way he usually compensated for things, and that was by talking. A lot. He started walking again and just went on saying anything and everything that came to mind.

 

“Yeah, I mean totally. It just makes sense you know? I mean we hang out all the time anyways, and this way it won’t be disrupting our schedules so much, and I’m not dating anyone right now so it’s perfect right? Also we have like tons of the same hobbies. We like the same Pizza. You already know everything about me. Plus we live like right next door to each other. Super easy commute and all”

 

The more he talked about this plan the more it just made _sense_. If Mark was going to date a guy it would totally be Jackson. That’s just what people would expect.  This idea was brilliant! He’s like a total genius.

 

Mark didn’t look totally convinced, but whatever. Jackson was absolutely sure that nothing could go wrong with this.

 

“But like wouldn’t it freak you out too much?” Mark asked. He was fidgeting with the straps on his backpack, and his cheeks looked a little pink. It wasn't cute or anything.

 

“Nah, not at all. We’ve been buds for too long for it to be weird you know?”

 

“I don’t know, isn’t that like…”

 

Jackson didn’t even let him finish. Instead he yanked Mark around a corner, and kissed him straight on the mouth. It was quick and pretty chaste, but it felt surprisingly nice even if it was sort of unsatisfyingly short and Mark had been too shocked to really respond.  

 

“See! Totally not freaked out. I’ll see you at lunch k? Don’t forget to tell “James” that your good without him now”

 

Jackson felt good about this.

 

****

 

Ok so Jackson might not have thought this through, and now he was kind of panicking. They were in Jackson’s living room after school just like usual, but there was definitely some pretty hefty tension in the air that wasn’t usually there. Jackson was overcompensating by refusing to stop talking again, but unfortunately Mark knows him a little too well for such tactics to work.

 

“-- Look you don’t have to do this Jackson” Mark said standing up and effectively cutting Jackson’s nonstop babble off. He began heading towards the door, and for some reason the sight of Mark about to leave was all Jackson needed to sort himself out. He moved in front of the door, grabbed Mark by the shoulders and steered him back to the couch.

 

“I want to do this though. I’m like totally positive that I’ll make a better trial boyfriend then “James”. Seriously” Jackson leaned in closer intent on proving just that.

 

“Ugh!” Mark groaned, “I can’t do this.”

 

Jackson looked up at Mark questioningly, and Mark sighed, but continued,

 

“The whole reason I started thinking I could be gay is because of you… I’m like in love with you and I wasn’t ever going to tell you about it, because I didn’t want things to get ruined between us, but when you say stuff like that you make it really hard you know? Like really hard, and this… this  is just not going to work for me. I want… like I wouldn’t want a trial… I want…  I want too much, and it’s not fair to you. Like I just.. I just can’t ok ” and before Jackson could even wrap his head around everything Mark had just said Mark was gone

 

****

 

The next day Jackson didn’t see Mark at all. Which had like never happened in the history of Mark and Jackson. He knocked on his door early that morning, but Mark’s sister told him Mark wasn’t feeling well, and to just head to school without him.

 

All day long Jackson couldn’t concentrate. He kept turning around to see Mark’s empty desk, and he’d lost count of how many times his teacher had had to get after him and tell him to look forward, and when he knocks on Mark’s door again after school he’s once again turned away. Mark hadn’t responded to any of his calls or texts either, and honestly this is just ridiculous. Jackson can't live like this.

 

That night after sending Mark about 50 more text messages with varying levels of distressed emoticons, he stares up at his ceiling, and thinks back on the past few days since Mark told him about everything. He thinks about how he’d felt when he first realized that Mark had a boyfriend, and how he’d been a little shocked and jealous that Mark’s first choice hadn’t been him. He thought back on how he’d felt every time Mark had been with that boyfriend, and he thought about how he’d offered to be Mark’s trial boyfriend instead (probably not the straightest reaction to that particular problem if he was being honest with himself), and then he started thinking back even farther than that, about when they were kids and about when they started to grow up and he realized something… Mark wasn’t the only one who’d caught feelings.

 

Mark _definitely_ wasn’t the only one.

 

And like whoa. That was kind of a lot to take in. Because like Jackson’s pretty sure he’s not gay, but right now he’s pretty sure he’s not straight either, and so that makes him like something in between? He’s not really sure right at this moment, but something he is sure about is that now that he’s had this moment of clarity he’s pretty sure that he hasn’t really been thinking about Mark in a platonic way in a long time now. How had he not realized before this?

 

He’d never thought about his other friends the way he thought about Mark. Couldn’t remember ever admiring the smooth planes of any other friend’s face or getting cricks in his neck from staring at the sunlight catching in JB’s hair. He’d never felt his heart thudd when watching Jr. laugh. Maybe he’d been burying it, letting it stay disguised as being ‘best friends’ for so long that even he hadn’t been able to recognize it for what it was, or maybe he’d just been in love so long he hadn’t even seen it coming.

 

One thing was for sure now that he knew though. There is no way he was just going to let Mark continue to ignore him. No way.

  


****

  
  


15 minutes later found Jackson in a tree, but not just any tree. The tree outside of Mark’s window. He knocked firmly on the window, and it didn’t take long before he saw Mark’s pale and slightly panicked looking face pop up from the other side of the window.

 

Mark looked wary, but he came over to the window anyways. He opened it up, but only about half way.

 

“What are you doing Jackson?” he sounded exasperated, but also a little fond so Jackson took that as a good sign.

 

“Duh. I’m professing my love to you. What does it look like? I’m telling you that you didn’t ruin anything, and actually I think I’m kind of in love with you too, and like maybe I want to be your real boyfriend and not just a trial boyfriend. So maybe instead of staring at me like that you could open the window up a bit more, and I could kiss you for real this time?”

 

Which would have been like totally romantic, really cinematic, and everything, but apparently the tree outside of Mark’s window’s branches weren’t nearly as stable as they looked, because the next thing Jackson knew he’s laying on his back with the wind knocked out of him and a broken tree limb stabbing him in the side. He moved to sit up, and realized that the tree’s limb wasn’t the only thing that had broken.

 

So yeah that’s how he got a broken arm, a very hard to explain late night trip to the ER, and a cast, but it’s also how he got a totally hot boyfriend who likes to play video games, eat pizza, and make out, so Jackson is pretty sure it was totally worth it in the end.

****

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me about Markson and GOT7 on [tumblr](http://www.namgin.tumblr.com) ♥


End file.
